Advanced energy technology arises from the understanding in fundamental science, thus rest in large on in situ/operando characterization tools for observing the physical and chemical interfacial processes. The energy materials and devices have been largely limited in a framework of thermodynamic and kinetic concepts or atomic and nanoscale. Synchrotron radiation based x-ray spectroscopic techniques offers unique characterization in many important energy materials of energy conversion, energy storage and catalysis in regards to the functionality, complexity of material architecture, chemistry and interactions among constituents within. The presentation firstly gives some details on in situ/operando soft x-ray spectroscopy characterization of interfacial phenomena in energy materials and devices. It has been found that the microstructure and composition of materials as well as the microstructure evolution process have a great influence on performances in a variety of fields, e.g., energy conversion and energy storage materials, chemical and catalytic processes. However, it is challenging to reveal the real mechanism of the chemical processes. In situ/operando x-ray spectra characterization technique offers an opportunity to uncover the phase conversion, chemical environment change of elements and other very important information of solid/gas and solid/liquid interfaces in real time. It will be shown how to use the powerful in situ/operando soft x-ray spectroscopy characterization techniques, e.g., soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering (RIXS) to investigate the real electrochemical mechanism during the operation. A number of electrochemical liquid cells will be presented with success in revealing the catalytic and electrochemical reaction process at real time. The experimental results demonstrate that in-situ/operando soft x-ray characterization techniques can help researchers well understand the real reaction mechanisms.

In situ/operando soft x-ray spectroscopy of energy, environment and chemical sciences

256th National Meeting (2018)

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